Flexible stuffing-box.



A. D. RoBBINs.

FLEXIBLE STUPPING BX.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 15, 1912.

Patented Jun 3, 1913.I y

spherically disposed hollow ALFONZO D. ROBBINS, 0F FREEPORT, NEW' YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FLEXIBLE srUFFING-Box.

Patented June 3, 1913.

Application :filed July 15, 1912. Serial No. 709,521.

`To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFoNzo D. ROBBINS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Freeport, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Flexible Stuffin/g-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My -invention relates to improvements in flexible stufiing boxes, and has special reference to'its use in connection with propeller shafts for boats.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved stufling box enabling the shaft passing through the same to aline with the driving shaft or its bearings according to angular relation of the shafts with respect to each other, the flexible stuffing box having movement to relieve its shaft from strain and friction.

`My invention comprises novel details of improvement and combination of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein,

Figure l is a side view illustrating my improvements applied in a boat; Fig. 2 is a central section of my improved flexible stuing box substantially on the line 2, 2, in Fig. 3, and Fig. 3 is a face view thereof looking from the left in Fig. 2.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a flange or plate having suitable apertures for attachment to the deadwood or other part 2 of a boat, or other support, in a well known manner. Flange lis shown provided with a collar or annulus 18L adapted to be seated in a suitable recess or opening in part 2. Said flange or plate is shown provided, on the side opposite said collar la, with a seat lb receiving a correspondingly disposed ball-like head 3"1 on 'a sleeve 3 projecting through and beyond the seat 1b. Sleeve 3 is shown exteriorly threaded at 3b, and is bored internally as a bearing for shaft 4. The head or half-sphere 3a is provided with lugs 5 which lit into slots or recesses 6 in flange or plate 1, whereby head 3a and sleeve 3 may have angular movement relative to flange 1. but are retained from rotation by the slots 6 and lugs 5.

Upon sleeve 3 is a cap or sleeve 7 shown provided with internal threads meshing with the threads 3", said cap 0r sleeve hav- 4are capable of being ing at its inner end a partially sphericallyshaped jaw 7EL fitting over the seat 1b. Cap or sleeve 7 is shown provided with a set screw 8 adapted to enter a slot 9 in sleeve 3 to retain said parts from rotation with respect` to each other after the 'desired adjustment of said parts has been made. A

gland 10 containing packing l1 is `provided between the outer portions of sleeve 3 and cap 7, and `within cap 7 is shown a packing' ring 12 adapted to be forced inwardly againstpacking 11 by screws 13 threaded in the end of cap 7. Between the opposed faces of head 3a and seat 1b is suitable pack` ing 14, and by adjusting jaw 72l against seal. 10b the packing 14 will be l'irmly clamped in position, and yet the parts 3 and 7 may have movement relatively to flange l and its seat 1b. Packing 15 may also be placed be` tween seat 1b and jaw 7El to further insure against leakage. Shaft 4 is shown supported by a stuing box 16 supported by strut l7from the fashion plate 18, or other part of the boat.

With the parts assembled, as shown in Fig. 2, in position against the de-adwood or 2, the flexible stuffing box will be securely yet movably retained in position but against rotation, and the shaft 4 may be caused to support properly aline withthe driving shaft in the boat. The iiexible stufling box will be enabled to move relatively 'to Harige 1, as may be required, to permit shaft 4 to rotate freely and without box, since the latter may accommodate itself to varying positions assumed by said shaft. My improvements are simple and cheap to manufacture, efficient in operation, and

applied without requiring mechanical skill, hence are adapted for the use of owners of small motor boats, as well as others.

I am aware that a stuliing box with ball and socket connections is well known, hence I do not broadly claim the same, nor do I limit my invention to the details of construction shown and described, as the same may be varied,l within the scope of the appended claims, without depart-ing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim is 1. A flexible stuffing box comprising a seat, a partially spherical head within said seat, a lug and slot connection between said binding in the stuffingv upon shaft 4, and flange 1 secured head and seat to permit said head to rock without rotation., and a cap secured to said head and receiving said seat.

2.'A flexible stuiing box comprising a seat, a partially spherical head Within said seat va lug and slot connectionbetween said head and seat to permit said head to rock Without rotation, and a cap secured to said head and receiving said seat, and packing Within the cap to fiat upon a shaft.

.f 3. A flexible stuiiing box comprising a flange having a spherically disposed seat and .a slot, a sleeve having a head Within said seat and provided with a lug entering said slot to permit said head to rock Without rotation, a cap upon said sleeve and provided with a jaw receiving said seat, and means for securing said cap upon said sleeve.

4. A flexible stuffing box comprising a flange having a vspherically disposed seat and a slot, a sleeve having a head Within said seat and provided with a lug Aentering said slot to permit said head to rock Without rotation, a cap upon said sleeve and provided with a jaw receiving said seat, means for securing said cap upon said sleeve, said cap having an interior packing ring, and means for forcing said ring toward said sleeve.

5. A liexible stuiiing box comprising a ange having a collar projecting from one side and a spherically disposed seat extending from the other side, said flange having an interior' slot, a sleeve having a head itted .Within said seat and provided With a lug entering said slot, a cap upon said sleeve hav- (topics of this patent may be obtained for sleeve, and means for securing said sleeve and cap from relative rotation.

7. A flexible stuffing box comprising a seat, a partially spherical head Within said seat, means to permit said head to move relatively to said seat but Without rotation, and a cap secured to said head and receiving said seat.

8. A flexible stuiing boxjcomprising a spherically disposed seat, a partially spherical head Within said seat, means to permit said head tol move relatively to said seat Without rotation, a sleeve extending from said head and having a`bore to receive a shaft, a cap upon said sleeve having a jaw receiving said seat, and means to retain said cap upon said sleeve in adjusted position.

9. A iexible stuffing box comprising a seat, a head having a spherical portion Within said seat, a ca having a javv receiving said seat, and means for detachably connecting said head and cap, wherebythe latter may have movement with respect to the seat interposed between them.

l0. A flexible stuffing box comprising a spherically disposed seat, a sleeve having a spherically disposed head Within said seat, a cap upon said sleeve having a spherically disposed javv receiving said seat, and means to retain said cap upon said sleeve in adjusted position, whereby the head and jaw may have movement relatively to said seat.

Signed at New' York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 19th day of June A. D. 1912. I Y( ALFONZO D. ROBBINS.

Witnesses:

Wns'rMiNs'rnR ABBEY, ALEXANDER T. QUINN.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C. 

